Cottojit-blockeb



A. J. FOWLER.

COTTON BLOCKER.

APPLICATION HLED sum 17. [920.

1,368,621 Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

7 lrrakn g ill UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COTTON-BLOCKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed June 17, 1920. Serial No. 889,664.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I. Alonzo citizen of the United States, liillsboro, in the count oi llill and State of Texas, have invented certain new and ineiul Improvements in CottonBlocl :ers, 01" which the following is n specification.

This invention relates to new illlll improvements in cell 1,; :1 blockers.

it is LL common practice to chop young when plnnls so that who the plain too J. Fownnn, a residing at use iul is are numerous and too close together, they are ltJDUHJ'l to promote the ri'mvlli. and. prop cation of the plant.

It has been established that tavern-lg up the cotton with dirt vi li have the same effect as chopping it out and my invention has to do with the covering of the cotton plants so as to leave only those exposed which it is do sired to cultivate.

The invention has to do with the provision of means adapted to be attached to n cultiator and arranged to protect the plants at spaced intervnls from using covered. up by the soil which is thrown up by he cultivator shovels. The in-;ention also nclnvles means w mashing down tha plants rrmi-pt where n. r-l",lll l is desl" d 1 hi hire; of he lilltili [Oil in n- "lti'i l v "=1 2 plant. hav grown too ln carry ing out the invention l mount a revolving: member between. the cultivator beams in front of the front shovels. The device includes radial fenders having their front sides open, but closed on three sides. lVhen the fenders reach a perpendicular position below the axis or the device they protect the plants from the soil which is thrown by the cultivator shovels thus leaving a stand. The juxtaposition of those fenders with relation to the periphery o" the revolving device will control the space lei't between the eoton plants which are preserved for cultivation. Rim pistes are provided for attachment to the rim of the device between the fenders when it is desired to mesh down the cotton plants instead of covering them by means of soil. The device is resiliently mounted so as to yield upwardly to any obstruction. It is proposed to make the ten ders adjustable transversely and circumferentielly of the device.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading "of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawin s, in which an example of the in vention is s own, and wherein;

Figure l is :1 side elevation of a portion of it cultivator equipped with n device ,constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a radial sectional view of the device Fig. is n vertical sectional view taken (A llu. line 2- of Fig. 2,

Fig. l i;; a cross-sectional detail taken on the line %l--:l of Fig. '2, and

i 2 3 is a. sectional detail of one of the re movable rim sections.

in the drawing the numeral ll) designates :1 hub box, which is provided with tangentielly extending arms ll. Radial fenders 12 extend from the hub and exhibit a substantially U-shapc in cross sections. These tenders are preferably made oi sheet metal nnd bent at right angles so as to have forwardly directed sides 18. The fenders extend outwardly from the hub 10 and each is histened to one of the arms 11 by a pivot bolt 15;. The lender is made in two ections with overlapping flaps 15 at its rear. These (hips are pivoted on the bolt l-l and are prohlcd with slots in concentric to the pivot bull's, Through the lower portion of each :idlnst i'igg bolt ii is pissed and this belt passes through the slots it; of the fender which is nttached to said arm, bolts l? are fastened by nuts 19. It will be seen that by loosening: the nuts 18 the fenders may be extended or contracted transversely oi the device as is indicated by dotted and full lines in Fig. 2.

At the outer end each side member 12 of the lenders has a sleeve 19 receiving a rim ring 130. lVhen the tenders are adjusted transversely, the ring is likewise spread opal-'5 or drawn together. .Mljnstnble wings 21. are pivoted to the sides 1:3 by means of bolts 22 and 23. Each wing has n plurality of holes 24 in position to be engaged by the bolts 23 whereby the wings may be adjusted circumferentially of the device and forwardly of the fenders, thereby increasing or decreasing the size of the fenders circumferentielly of the device so that as the blocker is revolved either more or less of the cotton plants will be protected from the soil which is thrown up by the cultivator shovels.

Vertical bolts 25 extend upwardly from hearing boxes 10' receiving each end of the hub 10 and each bolt is surrounded by a coil spring 26. In using the blocker the bolts 25 are suspended from hangers 25 suitably fastened to the beams A of a cultivator by means of U-bolts 27 as is shown in Fig. 1, with the spring 26 under the hanger so that the hub 10 may yield upwardly as will be obvious. The blocker is set just in front of the front cultivator shovels B. It will be seen that as the cultivator is drawn forwardly the blocker will be revolved and the fenders will be swung to a position just in front of the shovels B, and will pass between the shovels thus protecting the plants which are straddled, from the soil thrown up by said shovels. I have found that four fenders are ample for good results and by adjusting the wings 21 a proper stand may be had. Sometimes the farmer is not able to get into his field until the cotton has grown too high to be covered by plowing and in such cases I provide removable rim plates or segments which are mountel to fit on the rings 20 between the fenders. Each plate has inwardly directed ears 29 at each end and by passing bolts 30 transversely through the ears and across the inner side of the rings as is indicated in Figs. 3 and 5, the segments will be securely fastened on the blocker. This will give the blocker a fiat surface except at the fenders, where openings will be provided for receiv ing the plants which it is desired to cultivate. The blocker is drawn along the row in the usual manner and a stand of cotton thus had. This device is not to be limited to use on cotton plants.

Various changes may be made in the construction Within the scope of the appending claims.

What I claim, is:

1. In a blocking device of the character described, a hub member, fenders radiating from the hub, said fenders being transversely adjustable and adjustable also circumferentially of the bl0cker,'and nnular rim rings attached to the tenders at their outer ends.

2. In a blocker of the character described, a. hub, fenders radiating rings carried at the outer end of the tenders, and removable segments fastened to the rings on the periphery of the blocker.

3. In a blocker of the character dc:- rribed, a hub, fenders radiating from the hub, a rim attached to the fenders, and removable segments fastened on the rim between the fenders.

4. In a blocker of the character described, a hub, arms extending from the hub, tenders extending radially from the hub and mounted on the arms, said fenders being trans versely adjustable, wings adjustably secured to the sides of the fenders, rim rings secured to the fenders at the outer ends thereof, and means for resiliently connecting the hub with an agricultural implement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

a. ALONZO J. FOWLER.

from the hub, rim 1* 

